FTC weighs new rules to protect Americans’ personal data

Commissioner Lina Khan aims to prohibit harmful commercial surveillance and lax data security

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said it is considering adopting new rules to prohibit harmful commercial surveillance and lax data security, saying American consumers are often unknowingly giving up personal information ranging from their menstrual cycles to how they pray.

Firms now collect personal data on individuals on a massive scale and in a stunning array of contexts," said the FTC commissioner, Lina Khan, on Thursday.